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Robbie Rogart Jost is a counsel in the Mass Tort, Product, and Consumer Litigation, Product Risk Management, and Litigation groups in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office. Robbie represents clients across numerous industries in a diverse array of commercial, class action, multi-district, health care, and products liability litigations in state and federal courts. Robbie also provides counseling regarding product liability, risk management, and consumer product regulatory compliance, with a focus on health care and medical devices.

On October 25, 2024, FDA issued final guidance to the tattoo industry on the preparation, packing and holding of tattoo inks aimed at preventing the risk of microbial contamination. FDA is getting involved because tattoo ink is considered a cosmetic product regulated by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).Continue Reading The Ink is Dry: FDA Issues Final Guidance for Tattoo Industry

On July 29, 2024, FDA announced that it added two new features to Cosmetics Direct, the electronic submission portal  used for the facility registration and product listing requirements now in effect under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). The portal now allows responsible persons to “discontinue” and “relist” cosmetic products.Continue Reading Cosmetics Direct Gets Two Portal “Fillers” – Discontinuation & Relisting Features Added

A warning letter posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 18, 2024 offers a first glimpse into how FDA may enforce its new regulatory scheme for products that fall within the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA)’s purview. While MoCRA was enacted in December 2022 and many of its provisions became enforceable on December 29, 2023, until now, many have wondered how FDA will exercise its new enforcement powers.Continue Reading FDA Unveils Its “First Look” Into How It Will Enforce MoCRA

Talc is a mineral ingredient used in many cosmetic and personal care products, including baby powder, root touch-up products, and blush. Because both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals that may be found in close proximity in underground deposits, there is risk for contamination of asbestos in talc-based products.Continue Reading Talc About Toxic-Free Cosmetics

As we have previously discussed, in recent years, consumers have increasingly demanded “cleaner” beauty products and more transparency in product labeling. In addition to the FDA’s increased authority to regulate cosmetics under MoCRA, a number of states have now taken steps to regulate ingredients in cosmetics by limiting, and in some instances even banning, the use of certain ingredients that may be potentially harmful or toxic.Continue Reading Is it Allowed? Companies Face New Challenges with an Ever-Evolving List of “Off Limits” Ingredients in Cosmetic Products

A recent article published by MedTech, “Could Bassinet Clearance Expand FDA Authority? Law Firm Expresses Concern,” quotes a Crowell client alert and Crowell attorney, Robbie Jost, on this development. According to the client alert, “To the extent the FDA considers the SNOO a medical device based on its intended impact on infant sleep position, many

On March 30, 2023, the FDA authorized marketing of Happiest Baby’s SNOO Smart Sleeper, an over-the-counter infant sleep system intended to keep infants on their back throughout sleep. This marks the first time we are aware of that the FDA has given de novo marketing authorization to a product designed to keep sleeping babies positioned on their backs,[1] and signals a potential expansion of what the FDA considers to be a “medical device” within its regulatory purview.Continue Reading The FDA Appears to Expand Its Definition of a “Medical Device” to Include CPSC-Regulated Infant Sleep Products